Exploring Effective Retention Strategies of Skilled and Productive Personnel in the Healthcare Industry

Employee retention remains a significant challenge for healthcare organizations. Healthcare human resource (HR) managers are concerned about high turnover because it increases staffing costs, disrupts continuity of care, and threatens patient safety and workforce stability. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore strategies that healthcare HR managers use to retain skilled and productive employees to ensure continuity of care, patient safety, and overall organizational success. The participants were seven HR managers from the healthcare industry in Virginia; West Virginia; Washington, DC; and Maryland who retained skilled and productive employees to ensure continuity of care, patient safety, and overall organizational success. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of public HR management publications. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (a) career growth and supportive work environment; (b) strategic onboarding, training, and clear expectations; (c) leadership communication, feedback, visibility, and recognition; and (d) engagement, well-being, and retention-focused HR practices. A key recommendation is for healthcare HR managers and leaders to conduct monthly, one-on-one meetings that formally recognize employee contributions, review individualized career development goals, and address workload and well-being concerns to strengthen retention and reduce turnover. The implications for positive social change include the potential to enhance employee well-being and improve continuity of care, resulting in more resilient healthcare systems.